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Oscar Pistorius’ brother ‘badly hurt’ in car crash

Associated Press
7:44 a.m. EDT August 2, 2014

In this Tuesday May 20, 2014 file photo brother of murder accused, Oscar Pistorius, left, Carl Pistorius, right, speaks with his brother in court in Pretoria, South Africa. Carl Pistorius has been "badly hurt" in a car accident after a head-on collision on a highway in South Africa, Friday, Aug. 1, 2014.
(Photo:
AP Photo/Siphiwe Sibeko, Pool, File
)

PRETORIA, South Africa — Oscar Pistorius’ brother Carl was “badly hurt” in a road accident Friday night when his car was involved in a head-on collision on a highway in South Africa, the brothers’ uncle Arnold Pistorius said.

The crash in northern South Africa was “serious” but Carl is now “out of danger,” Arnold Pistorius said. He said Carl had been transferred to a hospital in the capital, Pretoria.

“Carl’s vehicle was hit head-on by another car that had swerved from the opposite side of the highway into the oncoming traffic,” Arnold Pistorius said in a statement Saturday without giving details of Carl’s injuries.

South African media reported that Oscar Pistorius’ older brother had sustained multiple fractures and was to undergo surgery. He was in an intensive care unit with fractures to his right arm, leg and left foot, television station eNCA reported. Another South African media outlet said Carl was in a critical condition.

“Carl was badly hurt but we are thankful that he is out of danger,” Arnold Pistorius said. He said Carl was returning from a business trip in the city of Polokwane, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) north of Pretoria. The accident was witnessed by a colleague who was traveling in another vehicle behind Carl’s, Arnold Pistorius said.

“He was able to tell us what happened,” Arnold Pistorius said.

Carl Pistorius went to trial and was acquitted last year of a negligent killing charge after being involved in a road accident in 2008 in which a female motorcyclist died. In that crash, the motorcyclist collided with the back of Carl’s SUV and died days later in the hospital. Carl Pistorius was acquitted of culpable homicide and other charges relating to driving without care.

Carl’s trial hit media headlines as it came weeks after his world-famous brother was charged with murder for the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Feb. 14, 2013. Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympic athlete, has been on trial since March 3 this year accused of intentionally killing his girlfriend.

Prosecutors and Oscar Pistorius’ defense lawyers will present their final arguments in the trial this week with the 27-year-old runner facing 25 years to life in prison if he is convicted of premeditated murder in Steenkamp’s killing. He also faces jail time if he is convicted of murder without premeditation or negligent killing for shooting Steenkamp through a closed toilet door in his house.

Oscar Pistorius claims the killing was a mistake because he thought Steenkamp was a nighttime intruder in his home when he shot her multiple times with his 9 mm pistol. Final arguments in his trial in Pretoria will be heard by the judge on Thursday and Friday.